LET THE WAR DRUMS BEGIN POUNDING. SEAHAWKS VISIT CANDLESTICK FOR ONE LAST BATTLE.

The Seattle Seahawks went into Monday night's matchup against the New Orleans Saints with high hopes of taking a major step toward winning the NFC West division and securing a home field advantage throughout the playoffs.  Pete Carroll had his football team primed and ready to take care of business and get done what was necessary to advance toward the kind of team this football club is capable of.

Now, with a franchise record 11-1 start to the season, Seattle travels to San Francisco to play the 49ers at Candlestick Park, the final trip for the Seahawks to the stadium that is scheduled to be decommissioned and probably destroyed as San Francisco's new home will be ready for the 2014 season.  This game is extremely important in that the Seahawks have throttled the 49ers in the last two meetings by scores of 42-13 going back to last season and in the second game of the 2013 season, Seattle treated the Niners in a similar fashion lambasting them 29-3.  It's clear that the Seahawks and CenturyLink Field's rabid 12th man are in the heads of the Niners players.  Whatever it is, Colin Kaepernick and the rest of Jim Harbaugh's football team haven't difficult time scoring and keeping Seattle from scoring in the Pacific Northwest.

Now, it's time for Seattle to take their show on the road and enter a Stadium of fans that seem to have somewhat of a laissez-faire attitude when watching their team play their home games.  The 49er fans have historically been a late arriving crowd and apparently, a crowd that doesn't quite know how to support their football team during home games.  Reportedly, the 49ers ticket organization sent out letters to all of their season ticket holders instructing them on the art of being a football fan.  The letter explained when the crowd was supposed to cheer and when they were supposed to stay quiet.  I imagine the part of the letter that encourages them to be quiet was easier than the first instruction.  Fans were encouraged to wear red and each time the team scored, fans were encouraged to sing the team fight song.  I have no idea what that song could be, and apparently the fans in San Francisco Stadium don't have a particular familiarity to the song, either.  Richard Sherman of the Seattle Seahawks, poked fun during a press conference earlier in the week explaining the Seattle's 12th man doesn't need a letter telling them how to behave in the Stadium to give their team a decided edge making it difficult on the visiting team.  It was all in fun, but it's clear that the San Francisco 49ers franchise is trying to keep up with the Joneses, or in this case, perhaps "the Allen's?"  Regardless, this is going to be a divisional rival game and a direct effect of playing one of the best football teams in the NFL and currently the second best team in the NFC West division.  Vernon Davis, the Niners tight end, praised Seattle during the off-season for their resolve and ability to play an extremely tough, physical and intimidating brand of football, no matter where the game is being played.  I look for this game to be very "chippy" before the game, during the game and if the Seattle Seahawks put a beat down on Kaepernick and the boys, you can expect some dissension to extend beyond the final horn.  This game might currently be the biggest rivalry in team sports. One thing that is for certain, these two teams do not like each other and it extends far beyond the players on the field.

Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh have a very public disdain for one another.  It all goes back to their coaching careers in the Pac-10 conference in college.  Harbaugh is a malcontent who takes everything personally and likes to find a certain edge by putting a chip on his own shoulder even when there's not one there to be found.  Pete Carroll was considered "Football Jesus" in Southern California when he coached the USC and was able to manage a couple of national championships for his SoCal Trojans.  Jim Harbaugh had opportunities to beat Pete Carroll's Trojans and he did give them fits.  During one conference game at the Los Angeles Memorial Stadium, the Stanford Cardinals put a beat down on Carroll's Trojans and when the game was done and decided, Harbaugh called for his football team to go for two after a touchdown.  Apparently, Carroll wasn't impressed with Harbaugh's decision to rub it in, and said so in the infamous "What's your deal?" comment that Carroll gave Harbaugh after the game at midfield when they met to shake hands. If you've watched Jim Harbaugh's game ending handshakes at midfield, you would know that is not really one of his fortes to shake hands and wishes opponent a good future and congratulated him on a tough game fought well.  So, there's a lot of history between these two teams and it starts at the top with the two coaches.

If truth be told without expurgation, I think the players would admit that they don't really have any personal ill will for one another.  This all comes down to soldiers fighting for their generals and fighting hard to honor the men who lead them into battle.  It could be said that the teams have animosity towards one another because they're both so darn good.  Both football teams play physical and intimidating styles of defense and both of them have committed to establishing a good rushing game in their offense, followed by big play passing offenses.  Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick really only share a couple of similarities.  Both quarterbacks are athletic and quick on their feet, with strong arms and dynamic styles of play.  That might be where the similarities end, however.  Russell Wilson is a humble, but confident young quarterback who has learned to deflect, rather than bring criticism and judgment upon him unnecessarily.  He gives credit to his offensive line, coaching staff and the defense that constantly puts the football team on the positive side of the field when they start their offensive possessions.  Wilson is likely to be found at Seattle Children's Hospital each week on Tuesdays and the rest of his life seems to be studying and improving his craft as Seattle's reliable and exhilarating young signal caller.  Kaepernick is a player that seems designed for the spotlight.  He enjoys the media game and he's a guy that likes to enjoy himself off the field.  Both Wilson and Kaepernick are both well-schooled and well prepared when the game begins each week, and both of them have the supreme confidence of their teammates.  One big characteristic separating the two young and athletic quarterbacks is this, confidence and a sense of calm, collected and a supreme belief in the outcome of extreme preparation and self-confidence.  Wilson has it, Kaepernick often finds himself in tough games and letting self-doubt creep in to his game.  If you watch Russell Wilson on any given Sunday, Thursday or Monday, and you will find the exact same expression and lack of anxiety.  Colin Kaepernick is smiling and high-fiving and celebrating on the sidelines when things are going well, as we have seen over the last 4 or 5 contests where the 49ers had comfortable leads.  It's when adversity starts to enter into a football game when you see Kaepernick lose that sense of calmness, that sense of confidence and the ability to see the game slow down enough so that the game comes to him the way that it has been practiced hundreds of times before.  Wilson is an enigmatic personality on the field, in that it is virtually impossible to use his facial expression and body language to determine what's happening in the football game.  His expression never changes.  It doesn't matter if the Seahawks are 30 points down or 30 points ahead in any particular game, Wilson stays steady and focused on one play at a time and a belief that something good is going to happen, Period.

One of the subtexts to this story is the return of San Francisco's wide receiver Michael Crabtree who was injured just prior to preseason training camp after sustaining a complete detachment of his Achilles tendon to his heel.  It was originally thought that he would miss the entire 2013 season, but through rigorous rehabilitation and a successful surgery to reattach the tendon, Crabtree has returned before expected and made an immediate impact in his first game back at Candlestick Park, catching a deep seam route for a 60 yard bomb reapplying a part of San Francisco's game that has been missing since Crabtree went down with the injury.

On the other side of this subtext is the story of Seattle's wide receiver, Percy Harvin.  He will be out again this week against San Francisco with complications from his hip surgery.  Pete Carroll and the rest of the Seahawks organization swear up and down that Harvin has not had a setback or any structural complications from his labrum surgery before the season began.  Harvin returned briefly for the Minnesota Vikings game in Seattle, catching one pass for 27 yards and returning a kick for 48 yards.  Though he only had two touches in the game, it gave the Seahawks and the rest of the NFL a taste of what the Seahawks offense could be like with him in the game.  Many believe Carroll is simply keeping Harvin healthy and available for the playoffs with Seattle meeting only two wins in their final four games to clinch the division and a first-round bye and number one seed giving them home field advantage throughout the playoffs at CenturyLink Field.

One thing's for certain, this will be a high-spirited game and both teams will show up to play giving 100% for 60 minutes, unless this game goes into a fifth quarter in overtime.  An organization in Seattle has paid to have the Seahawks 12th man flagged flown over Candlestick Park for 15 minutes prior to the game.  If this doesn't get the fans stoked in San Francisco, nothing well… They're playing their division rivals in a game that means a lot more for the 49ers than it does the Seahawks.  Obviously, winning this game would put the Seahawks in the driver’s seat for home field advantage and the number one seed, but it's not a must win game like it is for the 49ers and I look for Jim Harbaugh's football team to come out firing right away.  Last time the Seahawks played the 49ers in Seattle, they were without Michael Crabtree, and Vernon Davis was injured just prior to the fourth quarter giving Kaepernick one passing threat receiver in Anquan Boldin who was literally shutdown by the Seahawks defense, in particular Richard Sherman.  This one should be a donnybrook and the team that delivers the most head shots is going to take this one and give their team a great shot in the arm for the remainder of the season.

Seahawks Playing Truth and Consequences… Again.

CAN TWO BAD APPLES SPOIL THE WHOLE BUNCH-BROWNER & THURMOND SUSPENDED

The national sports journalistic media collective has, as a rule, widely ignored the West Coast region and to an even greater degree, the pacific northwest. Some of the stigma is true--though, Seattle sports teams haven’t exactly given the East Coast writers an urgent cause to slog on out to Western Washington to see what’s going on in the sports world. However, ever since Seahawks owner, Paul Allen, purchased the Seahawks franchise and more importantly, hired Pete Carroll to coach his football team; the trend of snubbing Seattle’s professional football team has taken a sharp turn away from obscurity and onto center stage of the media’s attention… and scrutiny. 

The Seahawks are believed to be the most talented and complete team in the NFL this season and that has vaulted them to an NFL best 10-1 record. All is not gold that glitters and right now, with the focus on the Seahawks blue and green, a couple of bad apples are trying to spoil the bunch and the entire team is again reminded that choices have consequences and that those consequences often affect more than just those who choose to test the boundaries of a common set of rules.

Once again and far too often, Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks are facing questions about the cleanliness of their football program; in specific, whether or not there is legitimate concern over the growing tally of Seahawks players who have been suspended for violating the NFL’s substance abuse and performance-enhancing drug policies. The latest Seattle offenders? Cornerbacks Walter Thurmond and pro-bowl corner Brandon Browner are the current individuals to sabotage their own brothers and even more, they have destroyed the one thing that made them part of this great team fraternity… Trust.

Now the question begs; does the scrutiny fit Pete Carroll’s program and does the Seahawks team environment allow too much latitude for players to violate team and league rules? The murmur across the nation is that Pete Carroll’s “loose and relaxed” style creates a culture of doing whatever it takes to win and the players respond by not only playing loose, but playing loose with the rules.

It's hard to ignore the fact that, since coach Carroll took over as the Seahawks head coach in 2010, eight players have been involved in (one or more) instance of violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, including; DT Alan Branch, RB Vai Taua, G John Moffitt, S Winston Guy, LB Bruce Irvin, CB Walter Thurmond, CB Brandon Browner and CB Richard Sherman. Several of these violations were linked to rumors of performance enhancing drugs (PED), in particular; the drug Adderall, (A mild stimulant) spawning fans around the nation to refer to the entire team as; the "Sea-Adderall Seahawks".  Due to NFL regulations, it's unlawful for the league to divulge the actual substance used by players, but in this most recent case, Browner and Thurmond's suspensions are believed to be initiated because of marijuana use.

As the final quarter of the season begins for the Seahawks, Pete Carroll and his entire coaching staff must prepare his players and staff to avoid a common foe that can bring down even the mightiest of teams -- complacency. Currently, some form of "damage control" is being performed, within the organization as two selfish players have figuratively "pulled the pin from a hand-grenade" and while the rest of the team deals with the explosion and aftermath, Brandon Browner and Walter Thurmond will now sit out the balance of the regular-season, watching the games at home in street clothes. Just as Seahawk’s injury depleted roster was finally being steadily reinforced; Browner and Thurmond displayed just how easy it is to tip the delicate balance of power toward the wrong side of the continuum by making selfish and immature decisions that affect an entire franchise. This kind of selfishness is the scourge of even the most powerful juggernaut in team sports and the Seahawks are experiencing just that despite having many reasons to feel jubilant and refreshed for the remainder of the regular-season. Good teams have an inherent ability to overcome large and small waves of adversity and unfortunately three Seahawks players (Irvin, Browner, Thurmond) have taking it upon themselves to test that theory this season…

It will be a four-game suspension for corner, Walter Thurmond, who was present just 3 1/2 months ago as veteran teammates; Kam Chancellor, Michael Robinson and Earl Thomas held a “player-only” meeting to discuss another young Seahawks player who decided he was bigger than the team, even if only for a moment. Bruce Irvin found himself in the NFL headlines after testing positive for an undisclosed performance-enhancing drug (PED) banned by the league's illegal substance policy. It is believed by the court of popular opinion, that that substance was a drug called "Adderall" a mild stimulant used by patients that suffer from ADHD (attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder). The drug is only permissible to NFL players who suffer from the condition and have a physician’s order and prescription to take the medication. The Seahawks have allegedly had several players test positive for this banned substance, but this time it was the first year player, defensive end Irvin, who decided to test the boundaries of the NFL's drug testing system… and he lost and thus the Seahawks lost one of the team's most fierce and productive pass rushing sack-masters for one quarter of the regular season. But good teams can overcome adversity… Irvin took it upon himself to test that theory.

Irvin,    a first-year player, did this despite being present at a meeting especially designed to remind every player on the roster that selfish behavior cannot be tolerated if this team is truly committed to excellence and the pursuit of the ultimate prize, a Lombardi trophy. The team even adopted a catchphrase to remind the players that the team is more important than the player and the needs of the many outweigh the desires of the few… Or the one. The teams new mantra, which was printed on Navy T-shirts with the teams lime-green lettering reads "Leave No Doubt 24/7" to remind each other that it's imperative that they manage their behavior and habits 24 hours a day, seven days a week on and OFF the field. This was to be there new phrase of commitment to the team so that, as Earl Thomas explained it, "We won't make the same mistakes over and over without learning from them."

Just like Walter Thurmond, another defensive corner, Brandon Browner, also found it his business to test the Seahawks theory that good teams can overcome adversity, large and small. For Browner, it won't be as simple as a four-game suspension, as it will be for Thurmond. No, Browner is reportedly in a stage III phase of the NFL's drug program after testing positive for both performance enhancing drugs as well as an undisclosed substance that falls under the league's substance abuse policy which includes (but is not limited to) Street drugs like; marijuana, cocaine, barbiturates, analgesics, amphetamines. It's also important to note that simply because Washington state and Colorado have adopted drug laws where marijuana is legalized, the National Football League rather recognizes federal laws regarding all illegal drugs and the league's own list of illegal substances. So, just because Thurmond and Browner live in the state of Washington, doesn't absolved them of any of the NFL's policies for drug abuse. The NFL came to a signed agreement with the NFL players Association three years ago through their collective bargaining agreement, that included a universal league policy that all substance abuse infractions by players or team staff members falls under a clause of confidentiality and nondisclosure privacy rights. Therefore, when a player or staff member tests positive for a particular substance, it will only be released that the infraction violated one of two categories player conduct; A: the NFL's Substance Abuse Policy, and/or; B: the NFL's Performance Enhancing Drug Policy.  The actual substance found in an individual's failed test result is supposed to be suppressed and unreported to the public or the media. This is in theory, only, because information leaks to the media are not lost on the National Football League any more than they are lost in politics or show business. However, there has been no official or unofficial report of what substance Browner and Thurmond were found to have taken as a result of failed test. What we do know is; that a failed test for PED's results in an immediate four-game suspension for a first-time offender. Multiple failures of the league's PED policy results in more severe suspensions and can also include monetary fines. The NFL's substance abuse policy is quite different. When a player receives a suspension of even one game, it's already assumed that he is in the NFL's drug program and has failed multiple tests. Because Brandon Browner is in the appeals process for his suspension, it's uncertain which substance he allegedly ingested. On the other hand, because Walter Thurmond has never been suspended, it's assumed that he failed a test under the league's Substance Abuse Policy, in other words Street drugs. The court of public opinion is that Thurmond tested positive for (tetrahydrocannabinol) or Marijuana.

This Seahawks team is literally on the precipice of doing something very special. Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider have assembled the most balanced and complete football team in the National Football League and their 10-1 record shows just how tenacious and resilient this team has been this season. The offense has been consistently without the talents of 3/5 of its offensive line including the All-Pro tackle, Russell Okung, and pro-bowl lineman, center Max Unger and tackle Breno Giacomini. Seattle has also been without its pro-bowl tight end, Zach Miller, for a quarter of the season and has been missing various defensive ends at one time or another including, Cliff Avril, Chris Clemons, Red Bryant, Tony McDaniel and Michael Bennett. They had been without Brandon Browner for the first four games of the season and as indicated already, Bruce Irvin served a four-game suspension by the league to start the season. Sidney Rice was lost for the season after the eighth game and the Seahawks number one free agent acquisition, wide receiver Percy Harvin, was found to have a hip injury just prior to training camp, requiring surgery that could have potentially scratched him for the entire season. So this football team has already had its share of adversity and hardship and so far, they have come out clean on the other side.

After the 10th game of the season, the Seahawks had just beaten the tar out of the Atlanta Falcons who eliminated Seattle in the second round of the playoffs just a year earlier. Both the Seahawks and Falcons limped into the contest with several key players injured and unable to perform, but again… Good teams overcome adversity and the Seahawks did just that, beating the Falcons convincingly and looked to the final six games of the season with a bright future including the return of several key injured players including; Giacomini, Unger, Okung, Bryant and the shiny new toy for Pete Carroll and OC Daryl Bevell, wide receiver, flanker and kick returner, Percy Harvin. The Seahawks escaped with several victories out of the jaws of defeat, narrowly beating the Panthers, Texans, Rams and Buccaneers, with spectacular plays when they needed them most. The only game the Hawks lost was on a road trip to Indianapolis where Seattle lost an early lead and ended up on the bottom end of a 34-28 squeaker to Andrew Luck and the Colts. Truth be said, Pete Carroll's football team was as close to a 5-0 record as they were to a 2-3 record to start the season. But, good teams overcome adversity and the Seahawks were proving to be a very good team and after 11 games into the season.

Franchise Owner and CEO, Paul Allen's 2013 Seattle Seahawks are the big boys on the block, the bullies if you will; and they possess the best record in football. The San Francisco 49ers, who were expected to battle for the NFC West crown, are currently in the distant rearview mirror. The Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis Rams are prowling behind Seattle and Frisco, and have made a late surge; proving that the NFC West division, is indeed as expected, the best in the NFL.  On the World Wide Web "Power Rankings"; the Seahawks are collectively believed to be the best team in the National Football League.  It began to feel like everything the Seahawks did would eventually turn into gold. Paul Allen was smiling, Pete Carroll was smiling, the team players were certainly smiling and the city of Seattle was giddy with pride and 30 years of undying loyalty and patience, were smiling ear to ear watching their Seahawks plow through the first 11 games of the season. After all, Good teams overcome adversity, and this balanced team of youth and veteran leadership couldn't falter-- especially after a convening in a special meeting designed to make brother and brother accountable for one another and a team mantra of accountability and consequence "Leave No Doubt 24/7"

Now, with all of the team re-fortified, healthy and rested, locked and loaded and prepared to go into a fierce stretch of five regular-season games, what could go wrong? The way this season has progressed, it seems the Seahawks are living charmed lives and on an inevitable course for a meeting in the Meadowlands at MetLife Stadium in February. After all, Good teams overcome adversity.

The Seahawks are still scheduled to face three divisional matchups that include; San Francisco at Candlestick Park, as well as St. Louis and Arizona at home in the C'Link. All three of those games will be highly competitive against three franchises that are winning of late and seemingly finding their grooves. San Francisco has won six of their last eight games,  Arizona their last four contests and St. Louis winning two tough games in a row.  In addition, the Hawks will travel to New Jersey to play in the Meadowlands against the New York Giants in the same stadium the Seahawks hope to be playing in, as of February 2, the place of Super Bowl XLVIII. All of these games will be challenging to say the least; and a veritable trio scenario of "Battle Royale" to say the most. This is obviously not a time for the Seahawks to rest or lose focus. However, good teams overcome adversity.

If you were to ask, coach Pete Carroll or any of the Seahawks players, if they are thinking about the above future game scenario, they would tell you that it's not even in the back of their minds. Their collective and everlasting goal is to go undefeated each week, to go "One and oh" as QB Russell Wilson phrases it.  The team is preprogrammed to take every practice "one day at a time" and each opponent "one game at a time". 

That brings this writer to the task at hand; the 9-2 New Orleans Saints; the team scheduled to travel to the Pacific Northwest for the most highly anticipated match-up of the year to date.  This impending prime-time clash with the league best (10-1 ) Seattle Seahawks and the NFC South leading Saints, will be broadcast on week 12's Monday Night Football battle in just three days. Head coach, Sean Peyton, and his New Orleans Saints football team are acutely aware of the implications of this Monday night match-up in Seattle. Up for grabs, is the opportunity to capture the number one seed in the NFC and the chance to host "home field advantage" throughout the playoffs. Considering all the teams currently contending for a playoff berth, the home field advantage is perhaps the most important achievement for the Seahawks and the Saints. The New Orleans Saints play in an enclosed Stadium, the Superdome, keeping in the roar of crowd noise, making it difficult for the opponents offense to communicate.  The Seattle Seahawks simply possess the most loud and disruptive fans in football, and a Stadium considered the most difficult building in which to play a football game. The Saints have a high-octane offense and a much improved defense after breaking all sorts of NFL records as the "statistically, worst defensive team" in NFL history… just a season ago. New Defensive coordinator, Rob Ryan, has worked his magic with the Saints defense and has helped to field a formidable, crew. Seahawks QB, Russell Wilson, has made no secret that he deems, Saint's veteran QB Drew Brees, his idol and occasional mentor. Both Brees and Wilson hold the title of the two shortest starting quarterbacks in the NFL. Standing 6'0" and 5'11", respectively, both have found innovative and extremely effective ways of compensating for their vertical limitations. Through tireless and relentless mental and physical training, Brees and Wilson, simply prepare themselves to be better than the rest, each and every day. These two pro-bowl QB's (mentor and protégé) read defenses better, distribute the ball to their entire progression better and constantly hone the subtle (but important) details of the game with an unquenchable desire to get better.

So… "Mentor and Protégé", "Instructor and Student", and now "Pro-Bowler and Pro-Bowler," Brees and Wilson will square off in the most eagerly anticipated game of this NFL season--   Adding to the visceral drama of this game; it should be noted that in the bright lights of this nationally televised game, at CenturyLink Field, Russell Wilson has never been beaten in his home at the C'Link, a perfect 13-0, a franchise record. Wilson is also just one TD pass away from an NFL record for the first quarterback to throw 20 or more touchdown passes in his first two seasons; a record I'm sure Wilson would be proud to break while his mentor is watching from the sidelines. Wilson would play for a win, first, but the record would be like gilding the lily, I'm sure.

Monday Night, is coming like a freight train locomotive and the anticipation for the teams and the fans is immeasurable, I'm sure… But there is a fly in the ointment and a reminder of the delicate constitution that helps navigate a team through a long and challenging 17 week season. It's those damn, selfish and stupid players that simply do not know how to get on a wave and just ride it. Walter Thurmond and Brandon Browner have created a negative cloud over the Seahawks entire franchise by their inability to stay out of trouble. "Here we go again" Is the phrase most often muttered by the talking heads of the media, the pundits and the fans who are holding their collective breath, just hoping that "someone or something" doesn't spoil this jubilant and festive Seahawks mood.  It's amazing, it's ubiquitous, it's close to an omnipresence once you step out the front door of your home or business. No matter where you go in the Pacific Northwest, it's like Russell Wilson leading an inevitable daily team cheer, "Go Hawks!"  But there are those who still try to wipe out the relentless optimism by casting shadows over the light.

Make no mistake, grown men have made bad decisions that affect everyone who has chosen to get on this wagon of hope. There will be players, coaches and fans who will give them another chance, another chance that they believe everyone deserves…  that's where I get lost in the sense of mercy and understanding. Just why do these bad apples deserve another chance… A freebie, a Mulligan of free out of jail card? People deserve water, oxygen and a chance to earn opportunities. That's it… Choices result in consequences or benefits… It's that simple. Browner and Thurmond made multiple choices that put them in the position they are now. This isn't a case of unfortunate circumstances. Earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunami's and bolts of lightning are happenstance and sadly they often damage humankind and our environment and no one is to blame. But, please don't confuse happenstance and reckless living and poor decision-making as an unfortunate course of events. Football is a team sport, perhaps the ultimate team sport, and the entire extended franchise will suffer from the poor decisions of a few players who place their own priorities above those of their brothers on the team and the fans around the world. It's a privilege to be a National Football League player, not a right, and within the fraternity of this great American sport, punishment and banishment must always be a consequence of selfishness and a lack of respect of others.

Brandon Browner and Walter Thurmond are grown men who know the rules and understand the consequences of this game.  Each player is a direct, vital and necessary tooth in the gears of a machine that needs all of its parts to operate efficiently. The Seattle Seahawks will now face the New Orleans Saints without two of its players and it's time for a new mantra, "Next Man Up!"

The Seahawks have decided to promote from within the team as a result of losing Thurmond and Browner. Reserve cornerbacks; Byron Maxwell, Jeremy Lane and DeShawn Shead have opportunities of a lifetime, now.  Former Seahawks corner, Antoine Winfield, has also been mentioned, by head coach Pete Carroll, as a move for depth in the secondary, but not right away.

Next man up… Go Hawks!

NOTE:

In nearly every power ranking list on the internet, the Seahawks Rank Number #1, ahead of New Orleans Saints, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs and Carolina Panthers, respectively.

GET EXCITED AND ENJOY THE RIDE - THE CARNIVAL DOESN'T COME TO TOWN OFTEN

SEAHAWKS PEAKING AT THE RIGHT TIME – PERCY HARVIN DEBUTS

Well, it's been absolutely fascinating to watch our Seattle Seahawks football team, scratching, clawing and fighting their way to a franchise best, 9-1 record, 10 games into the 2013 National Football League season.  It hasn't always been pretty, it hasn't always looked easy, and it hasn't yet been perfect-- but this young, tough, aggressive and confident football team just continues to find ways to win, at home… and now on the road.  Each week it seems to be a different player stepping up and making the plays necessary to lift the team to another victory. This group of smart, talented and driven Ball-Hawking players have willed themselves to success despite; key injuries, frequent poor officiating, and a slew of self-inflicted wounds, as well.  This is a uniquely gifted team assembled by the innovative thinking of Coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider.  Carroll and Schneider have implemented an unorthodox philosophy that seemingly destroys the conventional thinking by some of the greatest and most successful football personnel minds in NFL history.  However, pro-football is one of the most rapidly evolving sports in America and has a history of leaving those who refuse to evolve with it, out in the cold –- like an ice age to prehistoric beasts, and as everyone knows from history… Dinosaurs get left behind.

The Pete Carroll coached Seahawks football team looks different and it doesn't take long to notice how it breaks the mold for traditional personnel and position matching; and you can start with the quarterback position.  Russell Wilson stands 5'10" 5/8, in a league that traditionally believes that starting quarterbacks less than 6 feet tall cannot be successful in the NFL.  However, Wilson led the Seahawks to an 11-5 season as a rookie and succeeded in taking them to their first road playoff victory in 30 years.  The diminutive, Wilson, tied Peyton Manning's rookie touchdown passing record (26) with only (10) interceptions in 2012.  In Manning's inaugural season with the Indianapolis Colts, he threw (28) interceptions.  Wilson also ran for nearly 500 yards, with 4 rushing touchdowns and a 5.9 yard per carry average.  In his brief career, Wilson has also led 9 come-from-behind victories and has never lost at CenturyLink field, 12 consecutive victories and counting.  Wilson may not make anyone forget Peyton Manning, but he has begun to forge his memorable career quite nicely only 10 games into his 2nd year in the NFL.  I believe it is his biggest pleasure to prove people wrong who doubt him for any reason.  So far, I think he's doing an admirable job at turning heads and proving points.  He has a bright future in the NFL.

Carroll and Schneider have raised eyebrows with several other personnel decisions, not least of which includes the drafting of defensive end, Bruce Irvin, with the 15th overall selection in the first round of the 2012 college football draft.  Irvin was touted as a (2 down) relentless pass rushing, sack specialist. He played the "edge" DE without any "real" disciplined ability to help on running downs and because of his freakish athletic ability, his former coaching staff at West Virginia failed to hone the technical aspects of Irvin's pass rushing potential.  He did log 22 sacks in 2 years at West Virginia, but because of his limited ability to be on the field, scouts turned their noses up at him allowing the Seahawks the chance to draft one of the most dynamic defensive pass rushing players in the nation.  ESPN, NFL Network and practically every other draft analysts discredited the Seahawks for making such a foolish selection so early in the first round when there were several, better, safer, more accomplished college players available on the board at the 15 pick.  Irvin played in all 16 regular-season games for the Seahawks in his rookie season and led all rookies with 8 sacks.  However, his unique and specialized physical abilities compelled Schneider and Carroll to draft Irvin.  He was the fastest, quickest defensive end in the draft and scored better in nearly all of the physical benchmark qualifications at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis eclipsing all of the linebackers as well, the only exception being the bench press which he did not participate in.  The innovation and thinking outside the classic conventional thinking led the Seahawks to draft Irvin and what is scary is that his best football is in front of him, not behind.  Also, because he played in such a limited basis in college, his odometer for football longevity is much lower than most players coming into the NFL after playing 4 years of college football.  After seeing Irvin up close and all season long last year, the coaching staff decided to move Irvin to a position that would take more advantage of his superior athletic ability to get off the line so quickly and use his speed in pass coverage as a strong side linebacker.  So far this season, it appears to be a stroke of genius.  Already, Irvin has logged more tackles (26 in 6 games) than he made all of last year (10 in 16 games) with 2 sacks and he also has his first career interception in a big game where the turnover was partially responsible for turning the game around in the Seahawks favor.  What's more important is that Irvin is on the field a lot more than he was last season and it's all because this coaching staff recognized that one of their players wasn't being used to his full potential.  Irvin has a bright future with the Seahawks and to make things even more incredible for Irvin and the Seahawks is that he's never played the position of linebacker in his life.  The sky is the limit for Irvin and after testing positive for PED's before the season began, causing him to miss the first 4 games of the season as punishment and hurting his team, Irvin seems more mature and ready to take on the responsibility of becoming a team leader, not just a freakishly gifted athlete.

Perhaps the most glaring difference in the Seahawks football team is its defensive secondary.  Seattle possesses the biggest and most punishing, athletic corners and safeties in the game.  In a league where speed and maneuverability were considered premium for defensive backs, Carroll bucked the trend by fielding; 6'3" 215 pound Richard Sherman and 6'4" 225 pound Brandon Browner at the left and right corner positions, respectively.  Kam Chancellor, the Seahawks strong safety, stands 6'4" and 235 lbs. Chancellor looks more like a linebacker than a strong safety and possesses a svelte, chiseled and punishing physique that can cover the shallow portion of the field like a panther, a supreme predator patrolling the savanna. It sometimes appears that Chancellor allows a catch or two over the middle in the first quarter, with the strategy of causing the receiver maximum punishment after the catch. Receivers and tight ends begin to think twice before taking their eyes off of Chancellor and onto the floating football.  While free safety, Earl Thomas, protects the deep ball, Chancellor can provide an imposing run blitz attack support on the opponent's running game, as if Seattle needs another hard hitting linebacker.  Earl Thomas is the only defensive back among the "Legion of Boom" that stands under 6'3".  However, Thomas is like a heat-seeking missile, covering more ground than any free safety in the game.  Thomas is an incredible tackler and has a nose for the ball like no other defender.  He can cover so much ground in a lone cover one zone defense that it allows Browner and Sherman to play hard, press man-to-man coverage on the opponents best to receivers, beating them up at the line of scrimmage disallowing them the ability to get into their route on time and causing quarterbacks to throw the ball to an area of the field where no wide receiver can get to.  Then, Earl comes into action, chasing down rainbow passes and intercepting them for big turnovers and usually big return yardage.  Every one of the "Legion of Boom" has their own unique skill sets that allow them to work together as a synergy and most importantly, keeping the best receivers in the game, completely neutralized and ineffective.  Most importantly, the way that this defensive secondary plays, it allows the Seahawks front 7 defenders more time to get to the quarterback on passing downs and stack the gaps on running plays without worrying whether or not the deep option is open for the quarterback and receivers.  The defensive line, linebackers and defensive secondary all work together to make for the best and deepest defensive unit in the NFL.  This team is also extremely deep and because of that, they will be fresh and that spells trouble for any team playing the Seahawks in the 2nd half of the season.  This is the time that the Seahawks defense will begin to impose their will against their opponents the same way they did a year ago, only this team has more experience playing together and they have added several dominant defenders to add to the best defense in football a year ago.

When you look at the Seahawks roster, on both sides of the football, you see how Carroll and Schneider find talent and use it to the advantage of the team strategy as a whole.  Seattle has made multiple moves in the draft and through free agency where they use a particular player at one position and move them to the other side of the football, from defense to offense and vice versa.  JR Sweezy was drafted a defensive end, and yet, started as an offensive guard in his rookie season after playing his entire life as a defender.  Though this move hasn't come to fruition just yet, this year’s conversion project, Jared Smith, was also a defensive lineman who has been converted to offensive guard.  The jury is out on Smith, but the way that Sweezy made the transition, I wouldn't bet against Smith becoming an accomplished offensive lineman someday soon.  Red Bryant was drafted by former Seahawks head coach, Mike Holmgren, before Pete Carroll took over, and Bryant had mixed reviews playing at the 5 technique, as a defensive end, playing exclusively on the right side of the line.  After discussing the future of Bryant, and considering his lack of production (that would usually get a player cut), Gus Bradley, Seahawk's former defensive coordinator, and Pete Carroll, decided to move Bryant to the 3 technique to take advantage of his quickness on the left side. His enormous 340 pound frame was more suited to give run support on the interior line… this was a move that has paid off huge… 340 lbs. Huge, in fact.  Bryant was on the verge of his (brief) career ending prematurely, because of his lack of production as an end at the 5 technique.  For a big man, Bryant possesses a tremendously quick first step, and the ability to move quickly in small spaces, (well, relatively small, he is 340 lbs.).  The big man from Jasper, Texas has now become the unlikeliest anchor of the 'Hawk's defensive line, a line that responds amazingly from his honesty and almost childlike love for the game.  He has become a beast against the run and a very valuable inspirational leader for the entire defensive team and this is not a defense that lacks and leadership.  No one, but Carroll, saw this in Red and now the Seahawks have made him (and his family) financially secure for life.  He is an institution at CenturyLink Field, the nephew of the great Seattle defensive end (Jeff Bryant) and has an almost cult-like following of fans that love him for the reasons that this football team has adopted him "Big Red.”

Another player that has found instant success within Pete Carroll's system is Chris Clemons, the Seahawks top sack leader and another special player with a skill set that fits Carroll's defensive model for success.  Clemons is just 240 lbs., but plays much bigger without losing speed on the edge playing the Leo-end position.  He is a secure and fundamentally efficient tackler against the run and has a true "3 down game" that never requires him to leave the field.  Even though he never had a bookend pass rusher on the other side, Clemens has managed double digits in sack production with 33.5 sacks in his first 3 years in Seattle. In his previous 6 seasons, playing with (Redskins, Raiders, and Eagles) managing low single digits in sacks each season before becoming a Seahawk.  Clemons has benefited greatly from Carroll's defensive system with a coach that utilizes his specific skill set to be successful when he never really found success in his previous chances elsewhere.  He's too tall, he's too thin and fits more of a linebacker type body and quickness, but Pete Carroll doesn't follow the rules of other coaches or systems.  He has a specific vision and continues to find players that fit into that system and so far, it's working beautifully.  Clemons is one such player that has found great success in the Seahawks unusual defensive scheme.

It's no secret that the Seahawks are a football team on the rise and they are turning heads all over the NFL.  The 12th man has always been loyal to the blue and green, but never before has the NFL seen the kind of fervor and excitement generated in the Pacific Northwest for their beloved Seahawks. Franchise owner, Paul Allen, wanting to develop a football team that reflected his idea of the Pacific Northwest and he wanted the citizens of Washington to invest into this football team, emotionally and somewhat financially, but make no mistake, he wasn't interested in buying the Seahawks franchise unless the city was prepared to support a professional football team here.  He made specific moves to involve the fans with the team and created a sense of involvement that the team would have with the fans in very specific and personal ways.  Rescuing the Seahawks to the city of Seattle and surrounding areas would only work if the team was wanted and the fans of the Northwest region of this country responded in an enormous way.  It's really time for the fans of this football team to realize exactly what is happening to the city and to this Seattle Seahawks football team.  Pete Carroll was a great signing for this organization and John Schneider was a perfect complement because of their unified vision of what kind of football team they want to assemble and how they plan to implement these great players for the most likely scenario of success on the football field.  Bringing in players like; Russell Wilson who was thought to be too short, and wasn't drafted until the 3rd round, 75th selection overall.  Richard Sherman, a wide receiver converted to corner at Stanford, drafted in the 5th round, and now possesses the title of the best "shutdown corner" in the NFL.  Kam Chancellor, a pro-bowl safety, also drafted in the 5th round and thought to be too big and too slow to play safety.  Wide receiver, Doug Baldwin, who led the Seahawks in receptions as a rookie, an undrafted rookie out of Stanford and a player with 2 chips on his shoulders after being snubbed by all 32 NFL franchises.  Earl Thomas, a player many believed to be too small to make it in the NFL, who now holds the honor of being and All-Pro safety in the NFL and an early candidate for defensive MVP this year.  Brandon Browner, a 6'4" 225 pound corner who was also not drafted to the NFL and was forced to play several seasons in the Canadian football league because he was considered too big and too slow, until he was discovered by Carroll and Schneider and became a pro-bowl corner.  KJ Wright, a 6'5" linebacker who was considered too tall and lanky to play middle linebacker, lacked the ability to create leverage because of his long arms and legs, drafted in the 4th round, 99th overall.  Rookie TE, Luke Willson, 6'5" 251 lbs. a tight end drafted in the 5th round 158 overall.  Willson was actually the backup tight end at Rice University to Vance McDonald, a player drafted the same year by the San Francisco 49ers.  McDonald was the starting TE after the Rice coaching staff changed their entire offensive system, utilizing Willson as primarily a blocking back and McDonald a pass receiver.  Currently, McDonald has a total of (6) catches with the 49ers and Willson 12 catches, 9 first downs, 163 yards, 14.9 yards per catch.

In closing, I think this is a special time to be a Seahawks fan and a time to be grateful that we have an innovative and energetic coach who relates with young players the way he does and keeps his players excited and having fun.  Seahawks fans should be grateful that Paul Allen hired John Schneider to tool his football team with players with great talent and players who play well together and complement each other's abilities.  Hawks fans should be grateful that the front office saw past Russell Wilson's lack of height and the things he couldn't do, instead focusing on the countless intangible qualities that he has and his ability to make plays with his intelligence, effort and the tangible physical abilities (quickness, arm strength, speed and toughness) than he does have.  Above all, Wilson has all the qualities that you want in a field general team-leading quarterback.  He works harder than anyone and most of all; he knows his limitations and has worked tirelessly to overcome the things that he has no control over.  His attitude and positive, never say die demeanor is infectious and he makes all of the other players on the team better just by the example of his impeccable character and sensational ability to make believers of everyone he meets, plays with or even plays against.  This young man is spoken almost universally in superlatives and admiration.  Seahawks fans should be grateful that 74 selections passed in the 2012 NFL draft, giving Seattle the unlikely opportunity to draft this special young man with the 75th pick overall in the 3rd round of the draft.

This is a very special football team from top to bottom.  This 9-1 record hasn't occurred because a few great players and a couple of coaches appeared in Seattle.  This is a complete team effort with an entire roster of players that all contribute in a multiplicity of ways.  The coaching staff has implemented the players who have been discovered by a number of Seahawks scouts in connection with the Seahawks general manager as well as a considerable amount of input from owner Paul Allen.  There are 53 players on the Seahawks roster at any given time and 46 of those dress for each of the games and of those 46, each must contribute and constantly attempt to reach their potential as athletes and students of the game of football, offensively, defensively and special teams, the Seahawks have a special chemistry that is very difficult to achieve and that balance can be disturbed by one player, while it takes all 53 to become NFL champions.  It is a delicate balance played by some of the roughest, toughest and most physical football players in America.  It is the ultimate team game and a game of strategy and reaction to adversity.

Seattle Seahawks fans should enjoy this ride, because it doesn't happen every day. In fact, it is one of the most difficult and elusive of achievements in sports, anywhere.  It still uncertain how the Seahawks will fare in this season of high expectation.  They are perhaps the most complete and balanced football teams in the NFL, but the balance is sometimes fleeting in a sport where the objective is to physically disable your opponent in one of the most violent of sports in the world.  Players get hurt and destiny changes almost weekly, if not daily.  Russell Wilson has avoided serious injury throughout his brief career, but he has been belted and beaten far too often while Seattle waits for their starting tackles and center to return and protect their precious QB.  The Seahawks, like every other team in the NFL, have been hit by the injury bug to vital positions on the team.  However, through tenacity, great coaching and a supreme belief that they are destined to do special things, the Seahawks have managed to get through 10 games with only one loss.  Even in the moments of pure frustration and futility, the Seahawks have managed to win in the most unlikely of moments, leaving many to believe that destination is not just a catchphrase for the 2013 Seahawks.  In the NFL, there are 32 teams comprising 2 conferences and 8 divisions.  Of those 32 franchises, there are 4 remaining teams that have yet to play in a Super Bowl game and 10 teams who have made the trip, but returned home without a Lombardi trophy. The Seahawks are one of those 10, after Super Bowl XL, when they returned to Seattle losers after being defeated by the Pittsburgh Steelers after the 2005 season.  The Seahawks are currently 2.5 games in the lead of the NFC West.  Winning their division and being awarded a first "playoff bye" is project number one; "capturing home-field advantage throughout the playoffs" is project number 2. The 3rd objective is fairly obvious… Could this be the year for the championship famine in Seattle? Is this the roster that Pete Carroll needs to achieve the ultimate NFL goal? 

Seattle hosts the Minnesota Vikings and the game’s best running back, Adrian Peterson.  Russell Wilson has never tasted defeat in his own house and the Seahawks are bringing back many key personnel who have been out with injuries for a significant portion of the first half of the season.  Notable players to return;  wide receiver Percy Harvin (hip), left tackle Russell Okung (toe), right tackle Breno Giacomini (knee), center Max Unger (concussion), defensive end Red Bryant (concussion) safety Jeron Johnson (hamstring), and more to the practice field.